Glare shield attachment for headlights



July 28, 1931. L. E. RYNEARSON 1,816,299

GLARE SHIELD ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Aug. 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l WVFA/TUP I lam :2 1f law 54am July 28, 1931. L. E. RYNEARSON GLARE SHIELD ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS 2 Sheets-Sheet "2" Filed Aug. 13, 1928 Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES LUTHER E. RYNEARSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA GLARE SHIELD ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS Application filed August 13, 1928.

'My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a glare shield attachment for headlights for automobiles and similar forms of vehicles, which is adaptable to the conventional headlight, and by means of which the projection of light rays from the lamp' are so controlled as to eliminate glare to approaching motorists and pedestrians,

and yet secure equal, if not better illumination of the highway.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a glare shield attachment for headlights which is constructed to form inadvertently a receptacle in which ice and snow 16 may collect, but which is provided with heating means for melting the ice and snow so that they cannot accumulate in the attachment, but will be discharged therefrom as water. Y

A further purpose of my invention is the provision in a glare shield attachment of a signal element which is rendered luminous by reflection of the light rays from the head lights of an approaching vehicle or from any other source in advance of the headlight. Thus, when the headlights bearing the attachments are extinguished for any reason, the automobile to which they are attached willstill be distinguishable to approaching motorists by the luminosity of the signalling elements.

I will describe only one form of glare shield attachment for headlights embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation one form of glare shield attachment embodying my invention in applied position to a conventional headlight; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the attachment and headlight shown in Fig. 1;

. Figs. 3 a-nd 4 are sectional views taken on the lines'33 and H, respectively, of Fig.

1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Serial- No. 299,329.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an element 15 consisting of a sheet of metal or other suitable material bent to assume a semi-conical form. This element is secured in a frame consisting of an arcuate member 16 composed of two strips of metal between which the curved edge of the element is clamped by means of screws 17 extended through the strips. As will be noted from Fig. 2, the confronting faces of the strips are reversely beveled in order that the marginal edge of the element may be securely clamped therein without distortion. The frame also includes a pair of linear members 18 slotted to receive the converging and linear edges of the element 15 and secured tiereto in any suitable manner.

One end of the members 18 is secured in clamps 19 on the ends of the member 16, the opposite end of the linear members being welded or otherwise secured to a head comprising an inner annular section 20 and an outer annular section 21. These head sections are spaced to accommodate the small end of the element 15 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and threaded on the outer section is a ring 22, in which a colored lens 23 is secured. The inner head section 20 is provided with a reflecting surface 24;, and being disposed rearwardly of the lens 23, it will be evident that when light rays are projected through the lens they will be reflected from the surface 24 forwardly and back through the lens to render the latter luminous.

The element 15 is perforated as indicated at 15 for the purpose of permitting percolation of light rays therethrough and to secure quick drainage of water therethrough so that water cannot accumulate in the at tachment to interfere with its shielding and reflecting properties. Further, the concaved side of the element is finished to produce a reflecting surface, indicated at 15", and designed to receive and project light rays emanating from the headlight, as will be here inafter described.

By reason of the semi-conical form of the element 15, it will naturally operate as a re ceptacle for snow and ice, but to prevent accumulation of these elements therein I provide aheating means preferably adjacent the bottom or top end of the element which functions to melt the snow and ice as rapidly as it is deposited in the element so that accumulation thereof is prevented.

This heating means comprises in the present instance :an electrical resistance wire 25 arranged between a pair of strips 26, of mica or other suitable insulating material. The mica strips are clamped between a pair of plates 27 secured to each other by screws 28, and the plates and strips are of arc-irate form to conform to the transverse contour of the wide end of the element 15. The plates 27 and the strips 26 are both perforated, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and the resistance wire 25 is arranged between the mica strips to escape the openings the latter. By this construction it will be clear that drainage of water through the heating means is effected and yet the wire 25 is thoroughly insulated against any possible short circuit. The ends of the wire are extended from between the plates and are adapted for connection to a suitable source of current. They may be connected in series with a lamp of the headlight to which the attachment is applied.

In the application of the attachment to a headlight, as illustrated in the drawin s, the member 16 is secured to the lower half of the lamp housing rim 29 by means of of screws 80 (Fig. 2). 'With the frame member 16 applied in this manner, it will be clear that the element 15 is positioned to encompass substantially the lower half of the lamp housing, and more particularly the lower half of the headlight reflector 31. With the attachment thus applied, light rays emanating from the lamp 32 of the headlight are projected by the upper part of the reflector 3,1 forwardly and downwardly to produce a beam which illuminates the highway at a distance in advance of the vehicle while the light rays projecting from the lower part of the reflector are shielded from forward and upward projection by the element 15, thereby eliminating glare to the eyes of approaching motorists and pedestrians.

However, the element 15 being perforated, a certain. amount of light rays passes through the element and onto the highway so as to illuminate the latter directly in advance of the vehicle and to a degree suflicient to render the highway adjacent the vehicle clearly visible to the operator of the vehicle. By reason of the reflecting surface 15 and the contour of the element 15, it will be manifest that a certain amount of the light rays projected from the reflector 31 and lamp 332 will impinge upon and be reflected back to the upper part of the reflector 31 where they combine with the other light rays to increase the intensity of the beam projected, thus securing greater illumination of the highway at a distance from the vehicle. It will thus be understood that when both headlights of a vehicle are extinguished, both lenses 23 will be visible to an approaching motorist and thereby indicating the transverse dimension of the vehicle so that the motorist may pass without fear of collision.

Although I have herein shown and described only one orm of glare shieldemloo-dying my inven n, it is to be understood that various cha and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a headlight having a reflector and a lamp therein, an element in advance of the reflector operable to shield the lamp and reflector against projection of light rays forwardly above a horizontal plane substantially intersecting the axis of the reflector, and a signal member on the element having a reflecting surface for rendering the member luminous by light rays projected from a source in advance of the element.

A glare shield attachment for headlights comprising an element of semi-conical form having its concaved side provided with a reflecting surface, and a signal member at the apex of the element adapted to reflect light projected from a source in advance of the element.

3. A glare shield attachment for headlights comprising a perforated element of semi-conical form having its concaved side provided with a reflecting surface, and a signal member at the apex of the element adapted to reflect light rays projected from a. source in advance of the element.

4. A glare shield attachment for headlights comprising a perforated element of semi conical form having its concaved side provided with a ieflecting surface, and heating means on the element for preventing accumulation of ice and snow within the element.

5. In combination, a headlight having a reflector and a lamp therein, an element for shielding the lower half of the reflector against the production of glare, and a signal member on the forward end of the element adapted to be rendered luminous by light rays projected from a source in advance of the member.

6. A glare shield attachment for head lights comprising a perforated element of semi-conical form, the concaved side of the element being formed with a reflecting surface, a frame for the element comprising an arcuatc member composed of companion sections between which the curved edge of the element is clamped, and linearmembers connected to the arcuate member and slotted to receive the linear edges of the element, and a head connecting the linear members and con- 1 taining a lens and a reflector at the rear side of the lens.

7. A glare shield attachment for headlights as embodied in claim 6 wherein heating means is provided adjacent the arcuate memher, said means comprising a pair of strips insulated from each other, and an electrical resistance unit between said plates and adapted for connection to a source of current.

8. A glare shield attachment for headlights comprising a perforated element of semi-conical form, the concaved side of the element being formed with a reflecting surface, a frame for the element comprising an arcuate member composed of companion sections between which the curved edge of the element is clamped, and linear members connected to the arcuate member and slotted to receive the linear edges of the element.

Signed at Los Angeles in the county of Los Angeles, and State of California this 3d day of August, 1928.

LUTHER E. RYNEARSON. 

